Kendrick Lamar on hottest MCs list: 'Kanye should've been higher'

Compton MC says competition is good for hip-hop

Photo: PA

Kendrick Lamar has said that Kanye West deserved a higher spot on MTV's hottest MCs list.

The Compton MC released his major label debut 'good kid, mAAd city' last year and is tipped to top the poll. He spoke after West this morning admitted he was annoyed he only made seventh place on the list. When asked if Kanye deserved a higher spot, Lamar replied: "Definitely. I mean, it's Kanye. It's Kanye. He's been puttin' in work for years."

In an interview with Rap Up TV, Lamar also says the list is a good thing. "It's very important for hip-hop," he said. "We need that. It's competitive…It is rap after all, and everyone should want to be the best. A lot of people forget out there that even though we're doing these collaborations and stuff, you know, that's we're cool. At the same time, this is still rap. It's still competitive and I'm tryin' to compete with everybody to be the best and that's how I feel everybody else should feel about it….You're supposed to feel like you're the best. 'Cos if you don't – you gonna get stepped on. It's a jungle out there."

In a radio interview this morning (March 7), West said: "To me, I feel like in order for them to put me as number seven, they had to bring up things they didn't like. They didn't like the 'Cruel Summer' album, and I'm like, 'That's just [a] compilation.'"

"I don't know, it's definitely not based on a body of work," he continued. "It possibly could just be like overall rap MC swag. What happens is, with these type of things... they don't like 'Givenchy' Kanye, they don't like Kanye in a kilt, they don't like Kanye in a relationship."

However, West did say that he didn't think he deserved the top spot - instead, he insisted that the honour should go to Lil Wayne, who he called "the number one rapper in the world". Other rappers who have made MTV's list so far include Meek Mill, Future, A$AP Rocky, Big Sean and Drake.